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Your BMI can't tell you much about your health – here's what can Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them

These 5 diets could add years to your life even if you have bad genes Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:00:46 +0000 Five dietary patterns that involve eating lots of plants have been linked with living up to three years longer, even among people who are genetically predisposed to have a shorter life

World’s oldest cold virus found in 18th-century woman's lungs Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:00:31 +0000 Finding rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold, in preserved medical specimens and analysing their RNA genome could let us trace the evolution of human illness

Huge hot blobs inside Earth may have made its magnetic field wonky Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 Simulations suggest that two enormous masses of hot rock have been involved in generating Earth’s magnetic field and giving it an irregular shape

Accidental discovery hints at mystery structures within our brain Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:00:38 +0000 Scientists may have stumbled across a network of vessels in the brain that helps clear out waste fluid – a discovery that could "represent a paradigm shift in our understanding of all neurodegenerative diseases"

First ever inhalable gene therapy for cancer gets fast-tracked by FDA Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:38:05 +0000 A gene therapy that patients breathe in has been found to shrink lung tumours by inserting immune-boosting genes into surrounding cells

CAR T-cell therapy may slow neurodegenerative conditions like ALS Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:36 +0000 Immune cells in the brain that go rogue contribute to the death of neurons, so getting rid of them may slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

New Scientist recommends Hamnet, and its look at our links with nature Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Gene editing that spreads within the body could cure more diseases Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect

Why self-expansion is the key to long-lasting love and friendship Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:42 +0000 A growing body of psychological research shows that the best relationships – romantic or otherwise – come with a feeling of personal growth. Columnist David Robson explores the evidence-backed ways to broaden our horizons and connect more deeply with our loves, our friends and ourselves

RNA strand that can almost self-replicate may be key to life's origins Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:00:31 +0000 Life may have begun when RNA molecules began to replicate themselves, and now we’ve finally found an RNA molecule that is very close to being able to do this

Weird inside-out planet system may have formed one world at a time Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:00:07 +0000 The planets around a nearby star seem to be in the wrong order, hinting that they formed through a different mechanism than the familiar one by which most systems grow

Endurance brain cells may determine how long you can run for Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:05:44 +0000 The activity of certain neurons may influence our endurance for exercise, and these could be targeted to help us run faster for longer

Why I'm still an environmental optimist – despite it all Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's hard not to despair about the state of the world today, but here are five reasons to be a little bit hopeful, says Fred Pearce

The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:34 +0000 About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from

This state’s power prices are plummeting as it nears 100% renewables Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:13:49 +0000 South Australia is proving to the world that relying largely on wind and solar energy with battery back-up is incredibly cheap, with electricity prices tumbling by 30 per cent in a year and sometimes going negative

Royal Navy returns to wind power with trial of robotic sailboats Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:00:35 +0000 A fleet of wind-propelled robot boats could act as a sensor network covering a wide area and relay acoustic signals to a submarine

What to read this week: Bonded by Evolution by Paul Eastwick Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 We are told we need cynical strategies to "play" the dating game, but the science says this is totally wrong. David Robson enjoys an evidence-based takedown from psychologist Paul Eastwick

'Roughly 109.5 golden retrievers': a new way to measure ice Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback is always on the lookout for better ways to measure things, and was delighted to learn how the weight of ice is quantified in Austin, Texas

Nepal and Northern India are not overdue for a huge earthquake Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:35:00 +0000 Many researchers thought that earthquakes in the Himalayas recur at regular intervals – but an analysis of sediment cores has shown they are largely random, and the region has seen far more than we previously realised

Ancient Peruvian civilisation grew mighty by harvesting guano Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:00:42 +0000 The Chincha Kingdom was transporting seabird excrement from islands to valleys as early as the 13th century, and this powerful fertiliser may have been key to its economic success

Gravitational wave signal proves Einstein was right about relativity Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:00:12 +0000 Ripples in space-time from a pair of merging black holes have been recorded in unprecedented detail, enabling physicists to test predictions of general relativity

Newborn marsupials seen crawling to mother's pouch for the first time Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:01:16 +0000 Scientists have captured remarkable footage of the young of a mouse-sized marsupial, called a fat-tailed dunnart, making their way to their mother’s pouch soon after being born

Which humans first made tools or art – and how do we know? Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:00:03 +0000 Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species

Time crystals could be used to build accurate quantum clocks Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:00:27 +0000 Once considered an oddity of quantum physics, time crystals could be a good building block for accurate clocks and sensors, according to new calculations

Old EV batteries could meet most of China's energy storage needs Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:43 +0000 Electric vehicle batteries are typically retired once they reach about 80 per cent of their original capacity, but they could be repurposed in electricity grids to balance out slumps in renewable generation

Why 1.5°C failed and setting a new limit would make things worse Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:42:47 +0000 Setting a limit for global warming didn't succeed in galvanising climate action quickly enough – now we should focus on making the annual average temperature rise clear for all to see, says Bill McGuire

How clinical research is still failing underrepresented communities Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 As a doctor working in genomic research, I know that we lack vital data for Black people and many other groups. Here's how we can change that, says Drews Adade

Specific cognitive training has 'astonishing' effect on dementia risk Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:52:43 +0000 A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Is this carved rock an ancient Roman board game? Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:01:20 +0000 The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis

'Hidden' group of gut bacteria may be essential to good health Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:58 +0000 Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics

Jeff Goldblum should make a film about this legendary mathematician Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Paul Erdős was one of the most prolific mathematicians to ever live, known for showing up at the door of others in the field and declaring they should host and feed him while they do maths together. His radical life should be immortalised by Hollywood in a comedy biopic, says columnist Jacob Aron

Physicists can now take control of 'hidden' friction in devices Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:03 +0000 One type of friction can waste energy even when two perfectly smooth surfaces move against each other, but researchers are getting a handle on how to attenuate or stop it completely

Personalised medicine is yet to deliver, but that must start to change Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases

Statins don't cause most of the side effects listed on their labels Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:30:58 +0000 A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels

Seafarers were visiting remote Arctic islands over 4000 years ago Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:01:45 +0000 The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water

Why is childbirth so hard for humans – and is it getting even harder? Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story

Do weeds really love poor soil? Not if you look at the science Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates

Nobel laureate says he'll build world’s most powerful quantum computer Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:00:11 +0000 John Martinis has already revolutionised quantum computing twice. Now, he is working on another radical rethink of the technology that could deliver machines with unrivalled capabilities

The Beauty may be horror TV but it misses the genre's point Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In The Beauty, mysterious deaths of models are linked to a new drug and a sexually transmitted infection, both of which kill as they beautify. But if you want great body horror, this isn't the place to look, concludes Bethan Ackerley

Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:00:18 +0000 The flow of ice at Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has sped up dramatically due to the disintegration of the ice shelf in front of it, and this could lead to faster sea level rise

Physicists warn of 'catastrophic' impact from UK science cuts Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:44:19 +0000 Science funding cuts in the UK are expected to be a "devastasting blow" for physics research, affecting international projects such as particle detection experiments at CERN

The secret signals our organs send to repair tissues and slow ageing Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health

Why exercise isn't much help if you are trying to lose weight Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:00:40 +0000 When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too

Synchronised volcanic eruptions on Io hint at a spongy interior Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:00:46 +0000 Five volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io erupted simultaneously, spewing a mind-boggling amount of lava onto the surface and giving us clues to what may lie underneath

New Scientist recommends 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Moving inductions to early morning could shorten labour by 6 hours Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:33 +0000 By matching uterine contractions up with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, inducing labour in the early morning is linked to shorter labour and fewer emergency C-sections

Sebastião Salgado's stunning shots of the world's icy regions Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:08 +0000 The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis

A new 'brief history' of the universe paints a wide picture Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Nearly 40 years after Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, Sarah Alam Malik's epic exploration of the cosmos reflects a changed landscape around science in the 21st century, finds Alison Flood

Five stunning images from the Close-up Photographer of the Year awards Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:58 +0000 An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year

The toxic burden of pesticides is growing all around the world Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:46 +0000 Pesticides are becoming more toxic and just about every country is using more of them year after year, despite a UN target to halve the overall risk by 2030

Methane surge in 2020 was linked to lower pollution during lockdowns Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:27 +0000 A change in atmospheric chemistry during the covid pandemic resulted in methane concentrations spiking, raising concerns that cleaning up pollution could have similar knock-on effects in the future

Bonobo's pretend tea party shows capacity for imagination Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:10 +0000 Kanzi, a bonobo with exceptional language skills, took part in a make-believe tea party that demonstrated cognitive abilities never seen before in non-human primates

Fast-charging quantum battery built inside a quantum computer Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:00:15 +0000 An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries

Nasal spray could prevent infections from any flu strain Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:00:12 +0000 An antibody that has the power to neutralise any influenza strain could be widely administered in the form of a nasal spray if a flu pandemic emerges

Vegan toddlers can grow at the same rate as omnivores Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:06:15 +0000 Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children

How to live a meaningful life, according to science Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:12:03 +0000 The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand

Why Elon Musk has misunderstood the point of Star Trek Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 As Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth talk about wanting to make Star Trek real, long-time fan Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says they've misconstrued the heart of the story

Unexpectedly moving book makes the case for the Arctic Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In his lyrical book Frostlines, Neil Shea argues that we are more connected to the Arctic than we might think, says Elle Hunt

Holy prosociality! Batman makes people stand for pregnant passengers Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback is delighted by an experiment on the Milan metro system, which involved a prosthetic bump, a Batman costume and some unexpected displays of public decency

Psychedelic causes similar brain state to meditation Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:08:06 +0000 The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT seemed to induce similar patterns of brain activity in a lama - a revered spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism - as meditation, advancing our understanding of the drug's neurological effects

A social network for AI looks disturbing, but it's not what you think Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:55:11 +0000 A social network where humans are banned and AI models talk openly of world domination has led to claims that the "singularity" has begun, but the truth is that much of the content is written by humans

Record-breaking quantum simulator could unlock new materials Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:34 +0000 An array of 15,000 qubits made from phosphorus and silicon offers an unprecedentedly large platform for simulating quantum materials such as perfect conductors of electricity

Forever chemical TFA has tripled due to ozone-preserving refrigerants Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Chemicals used in refrigeration break down in the atmosphere to produce trifluoroacetic acid, a persistent pollutant that could be harmful to humans and aquatic life

Treating cancer before 3pm could help patients live longer Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:01:29 +0000 The most robust evidence to date shows that people with a type of lung cancer lived longer if they received immunotherapy before 3pm

Dutch air force reads pilots' brainwaves to make training harder Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:00:49 +0000 While pilots are flying in a VR simulation, their brainwave patterns can be fed into an AI model that assesses how challenging they are finding a task and adjusts the difficulty accordingly

The weird rules of temperature get even stranger in the quantum realm Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:00:48 +0000 Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but columnist Jacklin Kwan finds that it’s not exactly ruled out in the quantum realm

Why did SpaceX just apply to launch 1 million satellites? Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:06:48 +0000 SpaceX says it wants to deploy an astronomical number of data centres in orbit to supply power for artificial intelligence, but the proposal might not be entirely serious

Neanderthals and early humans may have interbred over a vast area Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:26 +0000 We are getting a clearer sense of where and how often Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, and it turns out the behaviour was much more common than we first thought

Ants attack their nest-mates because pollution changes their smell Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:00:07 +0000 Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies

Melatonin gummies as sleep aids for children: What are the risks? Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:00:01 +0000 To eliminate bedtime struggles, a growing number of parents have turned to melatonin gummies, but these hormone supplements are largely unregulated. Columnist Alice Klein digs into the evidence on the risks of regularly using melatonin as a sleep aid for children

A huge cloud of dark matter may be lurking near our solar system Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:32:29 +0000 For the first time, researchers have found what seems to be a cloud of dark matter about 60 million times the mass of the sun in our galactic neighbourhood

It would be a mistake to rush into an under-16 social media ban Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Many countries are debating whether to follow Australia and ban social media for younger teenagers. But with more robust evidence on its harms coming, we shouldn't be too hasty

Why people can have Alzheimer's-related brain damage but no symptoms Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:00:04 +0000 Some people don’t develop dementia despite showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brain, and we're starting to understand why

CRISPR grapefruit without the bitterness are now in development Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:00:39 +0000 Gene-editing citrus fruits to make them less bitter could not only encourage more people to eat them, it might also help save the industry from a devastating plague

Nobel prizewinner Omar Yaghi says his invention will change the world Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Chemist Omar Yaghi invented materials called MOFs, a few grams of which have the surface area of a football field. He explains why he thinks these super-sponges will define the next century

The best new popular science books of February 2026 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:24 +0000 Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan

Bored of snakes and ladders? Some maths can help bring back the fun Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett

Ancient humans were seafaring far earlier than we realised Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:23 +0000 Thousands of years before the invention of compasses or sails, prehistoric peoples crossed oceans to reach remote lands like Malta and Australia. Doing so meant striking out in unknowable conditions. What do such crossings tell us about ancient minds?

A remarkable book on quantum mechanics reveals a really big idea Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Where is physics headed? No one knows for sure, but Beyond the Quantum by Antony Valentini is a striking new book that reminds us what a big idea really looks like, finds Jon Cartwright

The daring idea that time is an illusion and how we could prove it Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The way time ticks forward in our universe has long stumped physicists. Now, a new set of tools from entangled atoms to black holes promises to reveal time’s true nature

Can we genetically improve humans using George Church’s famous list? Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:30:04 +0000 Columnist Michael Le Page delves into a catalogue of hundreds of potentially beneficial gene mutations and variants that is popular with transhumanists

Elon Musk is making a big bet on his future vision – will it work? Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:24:00 +0000 Reports suggest that Elon Musk is eyeing up a merger involving SpaceX, Tesla and xAI, but what does he hope to achieve by consolidating his business empire?

Yawning has an unexpected influence on the fluid inside your brain Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:38 +0000 Yawning and deep breathing each have different effects on the movement of fluids in the brain, and each of us may have a distinct yawning "signature"

The best new science fiction books of February 2026 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:32 +0000 We pick the sci-fi novels we’re most looking forward to reading this month, from a new Brandon Sanderson to the latest from Makana Yamamoto

How an 1800s vaccine drive beat smallpox in Denmark in just 7 years Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:54 +0000 In the early 1800s, Denmark’s government, medical community, church leaders and school teachers all united to promote the new smallpox vaccine, which led to a remarkably quick elimination of the disease in the capital

Our verdict on Annie Bot: This novel about a sex robot split opinions Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:22:58 +0000 Members of the New Scientist Book Club give their take on Sierra Greer's award-winning science-fiction novel Annie Bot, our read for February – and the needle swings wildly from positive to negative

Read an extract from Juice by Tim Winton Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:15:39 +0000 In this extract from the February read for the New Scientist Book Club, we meet the protagonist of Tim Winton’s Juice, driving across a scorched landscape in a future version of Australia

Tim Winton: 'Sometimes I think we use the word dystopia as an opiate' Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:10:24 +0000 The New Scientist Book Club's February read is Tim Winton's novel Juice, set in a future Australia that is so hot it is almost unliveable. Here, the author lays out his reasons for writing it – and why he doesn't see it as dystopian

New Scientist recommends pioneering artist Ryoji Ikeda's new work Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

The universe may be hiding a fundamentally unknowable quantum secret Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:24 +0000 Even given a set of possible quantum states for our cosmos, it's impossible for us to determine which one of them is correct

This virus infects most of us – but why do only some get very ill? Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 The ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus is increasingly being linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus. But why do only some people who catch it develop these complications? The answer may lie in our genetics

This doctor is on the hunt for people with first-rate faeces Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:36 +0000 Elizabeth Hohmann is very interested in faeces, and spends her days sifting through stools to find those that could make the biggest difference to other people's health

Fascinating but flawed book explores how sickness shapes our lives Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Susan Wise Bauer's The Great Shadow investigates the effects of illness on individual lives and collective beliefs. It's a mixed bag, says Peter Hoskin

AI-assisted mammograms cut risk of developing aggressive breast cancer Thu, 29 Jan 2026 23:30:54 +0000 Interval cancers are aggressive tumours that grow during the interval after someone has been screened for cancer and before they are screened again, and AI seems to be able to identify them at an early stage

Our lifespans may be half down to genes and half to the environment Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:00:56 +0000 A reanalysis of twin data from Denmark and Sweden suggests that how long we live now depends roughly equally on the genes we inherit, and on where we live and what we do

Polar bears are getting fatter in the fastest-warming place on Earth Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:03 +0000 Shrinking sea ice has made life harder for polar bears in many parts of the Arctic, but the population in Svalbard seems to be thriving

Faecal transplants could boost the effectiveness of cancer treatments Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:46:29 +0000 Adults with kidney cancer who received faecal microbiota transplants on top of their existing drugs did better than those who had placebo transplants as their add-on intervention

How your health is being commodified by social media Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 From health tech developers to influencers, our health is being monetised – and we need to be aware of what's going on, says Deborah Cohen

Think of a card, any card – but make it science Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback has been informed about a "global telepathy study" which is currently taking place, but isn't entirely convinced about its merits